Jim Boylan is out as Bucks coach, source indicates. He went 22-28 at end of season after replacing Scott Skiles. Bucks will begin search for new coach after five years with Skiles and Boylan leading the staff. Skiles coached four-plus seasons in Mke.

The news is about as unsurprising as news can get, as Milwaukee was unceremoniously swept in four games against the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs after a decidedly mediocre season under initially Scott Skiles and then Boylan.

Skiles took Milwaukee’s head coaching job in 2008 after a 26-56 season under Larry Krystowiak. The next coach will be the third brought on by John Hammond, who reportedly received a three-year extension shortly after Skiles and the team parted ways.

Hammond’s comments on the situation, per a press release by the team:

“At this time we feel it’s in the best interest of the organization to seek a new coach to lead our team,” said Hammond. “We appreciate Jim’s efforts not only in his time as head coach, but in his entire tenure as a coach in Milwaukee. On behalf of the Bucks organization, I thank Jim for his five years here and his many contributions on and off the court. We wish Jim and his wife, Jane, the best.”

8 Comments

Apparently the Bucks have two top candidates in mind right now: Kelvin Sampson, and unsurprisingly, Stan Van Gundy. Everyone without a coach (which is a lot of teams right now) will be going at SVG, so the chances of us landing him are pretty unlikely. But if any coach will be able to bring out the best in Sanders, I think it’ll be him.

Think the Bucks can do better than Stan or Kelvin.
Let’s use our imagination!!! The floor is open for
nominations! Does anyone think Sidney Moncrief is
a good candidate? Byron Scott? Any great college
coaches out there who might be able to make the
transition to the NBA?

God bless to Jim Boylan. It’s tough to be a head
coach in a league where Kobe Bryant checks himself
into games. Didn’t Al McGuire say he didn’t want to
coach in a league where the players made more money
than he did?

I wasn’t there, but it seemed like Stan Van Gundy
got pushed around by Dwight Howard. I know it’s
difficult for coaches to control their superstars
(e.g. Kobe checking himself into games), but I
would be higher on Stan if he had kicked Dwight
in the ass — literally or figuratively or both.

I turns out that Dwight left anyway, and Stan was
fired anyway, so Stan didn’t have much to lose, as
it turns out. I think you appeal nicely to a player
the first time or two, but then you give him a
swift kick — for his own good and the good of the team,
as well as for the the dignity and sanity of the coach.

I’d rather go for the next Popovich. Are there any
up-and-coming assistants out there?

I’m interested to hear why Kareem might be a good
choice, but not only did he bail on Milwaukee as
a player (one of my rude awakenings growing up as
a wide-eyed 12-year-old), but he brutally punched
our first-round draft pick in the face (Kent Benson),
which could have had a lot to do with why he never
reached his promise as a player. I can forgive
Kareem, but don’t necessarily want him as our coach.